Ethiopia Yirgacheffe - Awash River
Natural Process, Sun Dried, Hand-picked
Blueberry, Vanilla, Sparkling
I'm happy to offer this wonderful Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that has some really nice blueberry tones!
This lot comes from a group of small-holder farms in Southern Ethiopia.
These farmers rely on the Awash River, and its many tributaries, as their primary water source for their communities, crops, and of course coffee cultivation.
The combination of high altitude, fertile soils, abundant sunshine, and the rich source of clean water from the Awash River, has provided the perfect conditions for producing this outstanding Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.
General Flavor Observations
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe - Awash River
The aroma of this Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is quite nice with notes of vanilla and tropical fruit.
The overall mouth feel is smooth and rounded, with subtle chocolate notes; the finish is crisp and lingering.
The body is medium, but on the lighter side, and the general profile is definitely fruit forward.
While I found the fruit will vary depending on the roast level chosen, in general, you will find the predominant fruit to be blueberry.
The lighter roasts will highlight the blueberry fruit qualities, while the darker roasts will bring about more of a blackberry-like fruit.
As the cup cools, the finish adds some hints of dried red fruit.
The cup is clean, sweet, and has a nice depth and smoothness.
In short, this is solid, quality Ethiopian Yirgacheffe with all the great characteristics you would expect.
Roast Level Profile Notes
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe - Awash River
Ethiopian Naturals can have a wonderful complexity about them, and it is for this reason I have selected
Full City for our default roast level.
However, I can wholeheartedly recommend
Full City (+) as well.
We are always happy to accommodate any roast level you prefer.
The notes below illustrate how changing the roast level will alter the profile:
City Roast (light roast)
As always, this is the choice if you're seeking to experience pure Origin Characteristics. Brighter acidity, prominent blueberry, and a snappier finish are nicely offsetted by a mild chocolaty flavor and hints of malt.
Full City Roast (medium roast) - Preferred
I really like this roast level for this coffee as it offers a good balance between body and acidity. The mouth-feel is warm and creamy, with a kind of vanilla sweetness. Notes of blueberry are apparent up-front and taper smoothly into a finish that lingers with notes of chocolate. While similar characteristics are present as with the City roast, the acidity is slightly tempered and the overall mouth-feel is more balanced.
Full City (+) Roast
This is a wonderful roast and will create a silky-smooth mouth-feel and deeper fruit tones; somewhere between that of blueberry and blackberry. An increased sense of depth emerges, and the acidity is well tempered. Chocolate tones become slightly edgier (like Baker's chocolate), the sweetness more like brown sugar, and the finish is soft yet pointed. Equally well-balanced and a roast level that works very well.
Darker Roasts
Not recommended as the darker roast levels will eclipse the attributes that make this such a wonderful coffee.
Additional Information
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe - Awash River
This coffee is naturally processed, meaning the ripe coffee cherries are dried in the sun on raised African beds for around 12-15 days.
This sun-drying process allows for sugars in the cherry pulp to transfer into the bean, presenting in the cup as complex fruit flavors. The raised beds also provide airflow to facilitate a consistent drying process.
Once the ideal moisture content is reached, the dried cherries are rested in a cool environment before being hulled, graded, and handpicked prior to export.
- Origin: Southern Ethiopia
- Region: Awash River Communities
- Traceable: Small-holder farms
- Elevation: 5,905 - 7218 feet
- Process: Natural
- Drying: Sun dried on raised beds
- Arabica Varietal: Ethiopian Heirloom
